Jnfinney

Hi all! I am not on stage 4 quite yet, but I was thinking about some of the comfort foods that I've always enjoyed making and eating. I thought it would be fun and interesting for people to share their bariatric friendly comfort food recipes, because I need some healthier versions of things I enjoyed pre-surgery. 😊

I have not personally experienced this, but I have heard divorce rates are high for people who have WLS. However, it sounds like you dodged a bullet! We don't need an abundance of food and alcohol to have fun!

Today I just realized that I haven’t had a headache since I was a few days post op. This is AMAZING to me because I typically got headaches 3-4 times a week before surgery. I’m not sure what it is that has helped my headaches, but I’m sure glad!

@Tim C 😂😂 just being honest!!! That’s something I can’t tell people in my life because they wouldn’t understand!!

I’ve been on my puréed stage for a week and a half now and I’m feeling really discouraged. I am constantly hungry. I had 2 tbsp of cream of wheat for Breakfast made with 1/2 c Fairlife skim milk.... was hungry about an hour later. So, I had a smoothie I made (1 c. Fairlife, 1/2 container greek yogurt, 2 tbsp blueberries, 2 tbsp raspberries, 1/4 banana, 1 scoop genepro). 11 am rolled around... I was hungry again! I waited until lunch(12:00 for me) and had 1/4 c ham salad and 3 tbsp cottage cheese. At 3 pm I was hungry again! I am so stinking frustrated. Am I doing something wrong? What is going on? I feel like I'm overeating and ruining my new stomach!

@lizonaplane the cocoa powder sounds awesome!!! I also like to put carrots in my chili and sometimes garbanzo beans.

I’m just over a month post op and I have a long way to go, but I can already see so many differences!

Yes!!! And not worrying about pubic sweat (as much) and sweat underneath my gut.

@Betty1971 and being able to tie my shoes without having to hold my breath!

I thought a comparison would be interesting while I was wearing the same outfit!

Chrissy Teigen does this with Doritos 🤣

Wiping my own butt without breaking my back trying to reach 🤦🏼‍♀️

Your description of “hollow” really speaks to me. I constantly feel empty, but I’m not hungry. So knowing when and how much to eat has been confusing. @catwoman7 I’ve never appreciated such honest, raw advice from a veteran as much as I appreciate you sharing your struggle with this. I think it’s important for us newbies to understand that we will always be working for this.

I was only prescribed Protonix for a month due to the gastritis.

Every little bit counts! Great job!

I was given zofran to take home for nausea. However, I didn’t need it. Probably the first week after surgery I just focused on staying hydrated. I occasionally had some fairlife skim milk, but mostly drank clear liquids because it was all I could handle.

@ShoppGirl my ideal body weight is ~120 lbs, but my surgeon's office set my goal at 145 lbs (which would be a BMI of 25.7).

I didn't calculate my own goal weight, my surgeon's office did. And, they actually picked a weight that puts me at a BMI of 25.7 which is just into the 'overweight' category. So, I'm not really sure how they decide that.

They told me I had gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) just before I was 4 weeks out. It was super painful - a sharp pain up by my breastbone and would radiate to my back. Nothing made it worse or better, it would come and go randomly. So if this is what you have, are you on any antacids or PPIs? I was put on Pepcid immediately after surgery and then they ended up prescribing me Protonix (PPI) for the inflammation and the pain was gone within 2 days.

My surgeon said it is really common for people to question their decision for the first week or so after surgery because we've put our bodies through major trauma and the recovery can be extensive. I am just over 4 weeks out and it really does get better. I am still unable to drink protein drinks (they make me sick) but I can take normal sized drinks of water now.

That is really interesting. They were on my 'recommended' list by my clinic! @catwoman7 does centrum have a chewable? Maybe I'll switch.

1 tbsp cream cheese 1/2 oz gouda 1/2 oz sharp cheddar 1/2 oz parmesan 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt 1.5 oz canned chicken a splash of milk season to taste (I used garlic salt, oregano, onion powder and paprika) bake at 400 for 5-8 minutes

It depends on your surgeons plan. I’m not allowed that until at least 6 weeks post op.

I will also miss a good cold beer!! I wasn’t much of a drinker before surgery, but sometimes a beer just sounds delicious.

@ms.sss I also run in the morning (well, not right now as I am still recovering) and I also prefer to run on an empty stomach - eating before I run makes me feel sluggish and can give me an upset stomach.